Thirteen Years
by Klavierliebe
Summary: Too bad I won't remember. AU, one-shot.


I do not own Twilight.

**.Thirteen Years.**

A long, long time ago a little girl could be found at an extravagant dance, seated off in a corner. If anyone had glanced at her, they might have wondered who she came with; she was much too young to have come with a date and no parent brought their children to such fair dances. But she blended in so well with the pastel colored walls no one spared her a second glance, if she got a first at all.

Her dress, though pastel and with thin straps, was form-fitting. No one had seen such an oddity; these days the ruffled and fluffy dresses were very much in style. This little girl didn't seem to notice, or care, but she did brighten when the host announced the last dance. Instead of floating to her feet and prancing onto the floor, she pulled up a chair next her as if waiting for someone.

And someone she was waiting for, this being proven when an exceptionally dressed couple twirled their way toward the inky-haired little girl. Pausing for a beat, the lady murmured to the man she was dancing with: "Spare me a moment, Royce? I have to rest." Her flushed cheeks and wobbling knees supported this.

The man nodded once, reluctantly, and the beautiful woman glided over to unknowingly sit beside the little spiky-haired girl, lost in a hazy cloud of happiness. "Hello, Rose!" A bright voice startled her, so that she turned to face the child sitting beside her. A look of confusion darted over the blonde's face, but it was smothered immediately, as if she had been taught not to show weakness or emotion. "Have we met?" she asked pleasantly.

The girl shook her head no, sparkling smile deflating a bit. "Not yet." then she brightened up, the joy returning to dance through her eyes. "We will soon." As if she were reassuring the woman beside her as much as herself. Uncomfortable with this strange child who knew her name, the blonde, Rose, turned her attention back on the dance floor. But the persistent, happy-go-lucky child would not be ignored.

"Do you love Royce?"

The same chipper voice made the breathtaking blonde whirl around. Instead of being surprised or shocked, she switched to angry and wary. "How do you know my fiancé's name?" her voice was louder this time, not the pleasant soprano it had been. This usually would have startled children her age, but the black haired child laughed. "You know as well as I do that he's quite infamous."

Narrowing her crystal eyes, the blonde retorted, "No, I can't say I do."

A shadow crossed the petite girl's face as she drew her knees up to her chest, the dress being long enough to cover her toes. "All in good time." Again. It seemed she more chanting to herself than Rose beside her.

"Who _are _you?" Rose asked, sweeping a lock of her curled blonde hair out of her face. "And how do you know so much?" She sub-consciously shied away from the quirky child, body language signaling that they weren't talking, but just as engrossed in the child as the child was in her.

"I'm your little sister, your shopping buddy, and your marriage organizer."

The blonde snorted, disbelief plastering itself on her pretty face, the thought slipping to her that the little girl was lying. "Right." Rose agreed with this thought; the girl couldn't possibly be right.

Unabashed, the child smiled, repeating what her companion said in a much more solid, believable tone. "Right!" Thoroughly finished with this strange conversation, the blonde stood up, gathering her dress about her as she stalked away. "Strange." she murmured with a last glance behind her at the level-headed girl who stared after her with wide, dark eyes.

"Bye, Rose!" the girl's voice rang out over the music, disturbing no one but the girl in question. Her voice fell, to a whisper no one but herself could here: "Only thirteen years, one hundred and twelve days, twenty hours, seventeen minutes and thirty-six seconds until I search for you once more."

She rose to her feet swiftly, twirling out the doors and into the sloshing, gray, rainy evening. _Too bad I won't remember you._

_--_

A long, long time ago, a little girl could be found peeking out from the edge of a field of honeysuckle. The delicious aroma swirled in her senses, clouding her mind with its intoxication, but she focused nonetheless on her object of study: A group of boys, varying in age, playing what looked to be a game of football.

Her dark eyes were locked on one particular man: Easily the most muscular of the group, with the biggest grin, arguably the oldest. He was currently in possession of the football, the black curls falling in his face a loophole in which his brothers could use to their advantage. "I'm open!" a little boy ran back, waving his arms in the air as the man's crystal blue eyes flickered to him. "Go long!" he agreed, then threw with a mighty arm.

As all his brothers charged after the little boy now caressing the football, the little girl saw her chance and darted out f the bushes. "Hey, Emmett." it looked like the spreading smile on her face couldn't be helped as she tucked a black spike behind one ear.

The man turned to her in surprise. Not recognizing her, he bent down to her level, his face open an friendly. "Hi. What're you doing out here?" he asked curiously, gesturing to the wide wilderness surrounding the cabin he stood in front of.

"I came to talk to you." the girl spoke matter-of-factly, her dark eyes trained on Emmett. Not expecting that answer, his eyebrows raised. "And who do I have the pleasure of this talk with?" he asked, his natural charm flooding through as he flashed her a smile. The girl laughed, rocking on her heels as if dancing to an inaudible rhythm.

"Oh, I'm no one special." she replied absently, waving her hand as if brushing the topic of her identity off somewhere far away. Emmett cocked an eyebrow, as if thinking this girl was anything but what she said. "I'm just your little sister and teammate. Occasionally I whoop your butt at baseball." she added with a playful smirk.

Emmett didn't understand a word of what she said, but the 'butt whooping' did not pass his attention. His black eyebrows shot up as a grin spread across his face, highlighting his dimples. "As if a squirt like you could beat me!" he scoffed easily.

The child shook her head with a smile. "I don't do it alone." she admitted gravely, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. As if this was forbidden, this was something she wasn't supposed to talk about. "Your wife usually helps me. A lot of the time, your brothers...and, once in a blue moon, your other sister helps me beat the living daylights out of you."

Emmett stared at her, perplexed. He was beginning to think this strange little girl needed help…serious help. "Are you lost?" he asked suddenly, eyes raking over the expensive, designer clothes she wore. They were unfamiliar to him, the forest's chaperone, but she looked up at him with an innocent expression. "No. Why would you ask that?"

Emmett could think of a million reasons, but he settled with the most simple: "I've never seen you before in my life but you know me, you know these woods, and you chatter about stuff I don't understand." His curious was piqued, he needed to find out who this child was.

The sorrowful look in her wide, puppy-dog eyes made him pause. "So long…" she murmured. "Thirteen years, ninety-six days, twenty-three hours, sixteen minutes, and fifty-five seconds until I can truly explain."

She shot him one last bittersweet smile, then darted back into the woods. Glancing back, she smiled a raw, emotional smile as a football hit the back of Emmett's head and he whipped around: "Which one of you hooligans threw that?"

In this instant, she loved her brother Emmett. She loved his jokes, his charming attitude, and his competitive spirit. _Too bad I won't remember him._

_--_

A long, long time ago, a little girl could be found standing outside a hospital. It was an ordinary, small little hospital with a large parking lot and ambulances resting near the ER. But by the way her dark eyes focused on the door, it was something special. It was the most extravagant hospital in the world, just because this cute child was absorbed in it.

Slowly, she rose off the bench she had been sitting on and walked up to the huge glass doors. Hesitating, she pushed them open. They swung out, and the hustle-bustle, disinfectant smell of hospitals overtook the petite child. Wrinkling her nose daintily, she tip-toed past the clerks and receptionists, jabbing the button for the elevator.

Impatiently, she tapped her foot, waiting for the elevator. BING. Relieved, the little girl tucked a black spike of hair behind her ear and bounced into the elevator. It was empty and small, the annoying music playing exceptionally loud. She hurriedly punched in a number and the transportation device shot up.

BING. She leaped out as the doors opened, flitting to her right and down the hallway. Taking one more right turn, she stopped in front of a tan door. White coats trotted past her, none meeting her eyes. None noticing the tiny waif gazing at the name on the door: Dr. Cullen.

Fervently, she pounded her little fist on the door. Still, no nurses or passing doctors looked her way. The door creaked open, and a surprised blonde man came out. His skin was so pale, it almost matched the white coat he was wearing, and his golden eyes complimented his hair. "Hello." he began, having to look quite far down at this child.

A relieved smile broke out over her face. "Hello Carlisle!"

She was expecting the next question, his voice quiet and curious: "Do you need something?" The child nodded vigorously, pleased he'd come to that conclusion. "Oh, yes. I need to talk to you." Surprised but hospitable, Carlisle opened the door wider and the girl slipped into his homey office.

Taking a seat in the spinning gray chair, she smiled as Carlisle shut the door and sat behind his desk. "What's your name?" He asked, clicking out a pen. The little girl's shoulders sagged. "I can't tell you yet."

The doctor glanced up at this strange, unannounced visitor. After a beat of silence, he clicked his pen back. "Alright. Why do you need to talk to me?"

This the little girl was happy to answer: "I need to tell you about the future. It's very important." she spoke seriously, as if pleading him to believe her. Carlisle was surprised…children were usually wary of Edward and him; they had better sensors for danger than adults. This girl, however, talked as if her natural system wasn't sending her red-alerts.

"The future? Please continue."

She cleared her throat. "For starters, the next place you move has to be Ashland. That's where you'll meet your soul mate." This was vital. The child's eyes bore into Carlisle's surprised ones. "Please, Carlisle, you have to!" she pleaded as he didn't respond.

Slowly, he murmured, "Alright. I will move to Ashland next." Hesitantly, he inquired, "How do you know this?"

A twinkle flew into the girl's eye. "That's easy. I know 'cause I'm your smallest daughter, your credit card stealer, and your weather forecaster." She nodded matter-of-factly, as if doubt concerning her statement was preposterous.

Carlisle's eyebrows pulled together. "Do your parents know you're here?" This quirky, odd child who babbled nonsense couldn't have come here alone, could she?

She shot Carlisle an odd look, replying with a, "Well, you're sitting righting front of me. Do you know I'm here?"

Perplexed, Carlisle answered her question: "Yes, but I'm not your father." The little girl snapped her fingers together, dark eyes rounding apologetically. "Sorry, I forgot. Sometimes I get too caught up in the future…"

Before the vampire behind the desk could respond to that oddity of a statement, the door burst open. Miss Helen, the receptionist, panted in the doorway, her hair falling down her shoulders everywhere. "Dr. Cullen! We need you, there's an emergency down in sector six!"

Rising, Carlisle stayed calm. "Oh dear. I'll be right there." Helen nodded once, her eyes never straying to the child on the spinning chair. Carlisle's gaze, however, lingered on the black-haired girl. "I must go. Maybe we'll meet again someday?" _And you can explain yourself._

The girl nodded, as if this was completely natural. "Of course. Go save lives, Carlisle." A smile flitted across her face. "Goodbye."

Carlisle nodded, "Goodbye." And was gone.

As she spun once more in the gray, spinning chair, she chanted to herself quietly. "Thirteen years, eighty-seven days, six hours, twenty-two minutes and fourteen seconds until my awe of your occupation increases, Carlisle."

She slid off the chair, skipping out the open door and through the crowd of oblivious nurses, to the entrance. _Too bad I won't remember it._

_--_

A long, long time ago, a little girl could be found on the roof of an abandoned hotel. The sun was setting, and it's blood-red rays of light threw long shadows on the desert surrounding her. A content sigh breathed through her parted lips as the child closed her eyes, fingering her inky hair absently.

Leaning against the low wall of the rooftop, the petite girl surveyed the desert and the abandoned road below through half-closed eyes, as if on watch, as if waiting for someone. She sat there, completely still, while the blue-tinted darkness settled around and the full moon became her source of light, for an hour.

That's when she stirred. The moon was high above her, the breeze ruffling her short, spiked black hair. Raising her dark eyes to the moon, she stared in fascination. As if something had just occurred to her, she twirled around and danced to the other side of the rooftop, her skinny arms gripping the low wall as she leaned over.

Under her astonished and euphoric stare, a figure approached the run-down, empty hotel. He appeared to be carrying nothing, and was completely alone. Craning her neck, the little girl's eyes were tinted with longing - she needed to see this person, whoever they were.

But he was gone, picking up his slow pace until he disappeared inhumanly fast. Face falling, the child sighed and propped her elbows on the wall, holding her impatient face in her hands.

Another half hour passed before the girl moved again: she skipped cheerfully over to stand in front of the door to the inside of the hotel, the only way to get up to the roof. Her eyes danced with the sparkles from the moon, falling patiently on the wooden door.

As if on cue, it swung open. The child bit her lip, a grin threatening to break out. A man stepped out, his eyes glazed over as he walked slowly out onto the roof. His blonde curls had specks of dust in them, and they glimmered silver in the moonlight. The little girl smiled, her cute face melting into a beautiful grin. "Hello."

The vampire's blood-red eyes snapped to her face as if just seeing her. Involuntarily taking a step back, the blonde responded instantly. "Who are you?" The fact that he was speaking to a child didn't seem to matter to this high-strung blonde.

The child laughed, and you could hear tinge of nervousness highlighting the air, if one was listening. "Me?" she paused, eyes searching the sky, as if looking for an answer. "I'm your soul mate, your other half, your little pixie, and your sun."

She paused, the incredulous look in the man's eyes forcing her to continue. "I'm your hope."

It seemed as if the blonde didn't know how to respond. Awkwardly, he shoved his hands in his pockets, red eyes glued to the tiny girl, who was completely absorbed in memorizing every detail of him, right down to the grimy boots on his feet.

"Where are you from?" he asked after a beat of silence, surprise and wariness still written on his face. The child answered immediately, face lighting up. "Biloxi, Mississippi." The vampire's blood-red eyes widened ever so slightly. "How did you get out in the middle of Texas?"

She shrugged airily, eyes roaming away from him. "Humans have their ways, Jasper."

Astonishment flickered across his pale face, then his walls reared up and suspicion closed him down. Taking another step backward, he asked her quietly, "How much do you know about us?" _How much do you know about me?_

The little girl smiled. "Everything." She half-closed her eyes in a contented sigh, then snapped them back open and smiled at Jasper. Lighting up like the child she was on Christmas morning, she didn't let him respond. Instead, she leaped forward and threw her tiny arms around him.

The blonde vampire with Texas dirt smudges on his chin stiffened, instincts screaming at him to attack. His eyes, blank with shock, trickled down to the human girl squeezing him. After a moment of silence as a grin spread across the little girl's face, an answering smile lifted Jasper's face.

The child stepped back, grinning. "Sorry about that…for a minute I forgot you hadn't resorted to Carlisle's way of life yet." her smile widened. "But you will." Her certainty and the content of her words made no sense to Jasper, but he didn't press this oddity of a child.

"Jasper?"

A voice she'd never heard made the girl whip around. The vampire tensed, too, but relaxed as he peered over the wall. "Peter." The girl stared, fascinated, at the dark shape hardly noticeable amongst the night sand. The blonde shot her a look. "I must be going."

His hand was instantly an inch away from the door, but hesitation made him stop. "Please…" he began, turning to look at the girl over his shoulder. "Tell me your name before I leave."

An over-agonized pout pulled itself across the pixie's face. "Sorry, Jazz, but that'd be cheating." her face brightened into a sparkling smile that could light up the whole night sky. "But just think! Only thirteen years, seventy-nine days, two hours, twenty-six minutes and forty-three seconds until I have my first vision of you as a vampire!"

With that, Jasper disappeared, not wanting to lead his friends to the human girl. But her words echoed in his head, the confusing twist to them puzzling him beyond thought.

As for the little girl? She pivoted on her heels, glancing once more up at the full moon, and sat down on an empty crate. Letting her head hang off the side so that she was upside-down, the first tear dripped down her painfully cute face. Her next words were a whisper, to make sure no prying ears heard: "I love you, Jasper." _Too bad I won't remember I do._

_--_

A long, long time ago, a little girl could be found bouncing. Her small feet didn't make a sound as she rhythmically swayed up and down. She was exceptionally cute, her hair short, inky black, and spreading out in a spiky wave. Her wide, dark eyes sparkled with anticipation as she darted inside the high school.

No one noticed her fleeting, swift form. The little girl was on a mission, looking for someone in particular as she danced through the throng of lolly-gagging students. As she slowed, still no one spared her a searching glance, as if they never laid eyes on her.

Finally, it seemed the quirky little girl had reached her destination. Pausing for a heartbeat, her wide, dark eyes fell on a teenage boy. He was sitting alone on a bench, as if having no where better to go. His posture was perfect, and his eyes roamed the crowds of his classmates with disinterest.

The tiny girl danced up to this bronze-haired boy, her grin swelling.

"Edward." she breathed, her voice caressing his name like a china doll; as if it would shatter at any second. Instantly, his honey eyes were on her approaching, petite figure. He didn't relax as she plunked herself down next to him, white teeth sparkling at him from a radiant smile.

As if drawn to the little girl, Edward leaned forward ever so slowly, a look of pure concentration pasting across his face. "Who are you?" he murmured, velvet voice stroking away the silence. The little girl giggled, the sound almost echoing in the now deserted hallway. "I'm your best friend, your little sister and your most trusted fortune-teller."

At this the teenager cocked an eyebrow, disbelieving. After a beat of silence in which the little girl's eyes danced with spirit and euphoria, Edward frowned, frustration curving his chiseled mouth downwards. "That doesn't make sense." he muttered, downcast.

The little girl nodded vigorously, completely absorbed in their conversation. "Oh, it will soon." Edward's face was expressionless, buttoning up any emotion so the little girl couldn't read him. She absently started swinging her dainty legs with energy that overtook several other children her age.

Edward finally spoke after another long pause, mostly consisting of him searching her care-free, smiling face. She gave off an innocent aura in her childish leg-swinging and smiling, but her sense of understanding was beyond him. "What's your name?"

The black haired little girl shook her head playfully, muffling a giggle. "Now that wouldn't be fair, would it? You'll just have to remember me later." This obviously made absolutely no sense to the teenager, but the girl giggled as if this was her own inside joke. Edward's frustrated face grew until it seemed he might up and leave, but he was far too curious to ditch this petite angel.

"Are you going to answer any of my questions?" He asked, slightly irritable. Edward's golden eyes darted around, knowing the child was merely human. She didn't seem bothered by his sudden decrease in his good mood, if it could be said that he'd had one beforehand. She contemplated, tapping her chin with a finger as she thought. Edward's eyes zoned back onto her.

"Maybe." she stretched out the word so it was teasing, and he scowled. This little girl was interesting, different from his normal, monotone school day. As if suddenly realizing something highly important, the girl leaped gracefully off the bench. "I must be going."

He nodded once, curtly, as she shot him a breathtaking smile - cute, even for a human. He fiddled idly with his old-fashioned clothes, deciding he'd go home to Carlisle now that the slight excitement and puzzlement was over. Standing up fluidly, he was surprised to see the girl hadn't left quite yet. Her thoughts apparently hadn't disturbed Edward, as if they were muffled for the time being.

He could tell she was hiding something in her thoughts when she focused on him with a burning intensity, all cheerfulness gone. "Goodbye, Edward." The teenage vampire still didn't know how this girl knew his name, but didn't have time to dwell as she continued: "Thirteen years, seventy-three days, five hours and eighty-nine seconds until I join you once more, my brother."

She pranced away, and the stupefied Edward caught her last thought before her light voice faded from his head: _Too bad I won't remember._


End file.
